Amulets

AMULETS

ILLUSTRATED BY THE EGYPTIAN COLLECTION IN

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON

BY

W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE

HON. D.C.L., LL.D., LITT.D., PH.D., F.R.S., F.B.A., HON. F.S.A. (SCOT.), A.R.I.B.A., MEMBER OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL GERMAN ARCHÆOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY, BERLIN; MEMBER OF THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY; MEMBER OF THE ROMAN SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY; MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ANTIQUARIES; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY; EDWARDS PROFESSOR OF EGYPTOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from

the British Library

Flinders Petrie

William Matthew Flinders Petrie was born on 3rd July 1853 in Kent, England, son of William Petrie and Ann Flinders. The young Flinders Petrie was educated at home in a devout Christian household due to his father being a member of the Plymouth Brethren.

He showed an early interest in the field of archaeology and by his teenage years was surveying local Roman monuments near his family home. This enthusiasm resulted in a visit to Egypt in 1880 to study the great Pyramid at Giza, where his analyses were the first to apply observation and logic to investigate how the pyramids were constructed. His meticulous accuracy in measurement still provides a considerable amount of the basic data still used today in the study of the pyramid plateau.

His impressive scientific approach to the field earned him the position of professor at University College London. This recognition secured Filnders Petrie the funds he needed for excavation projects, and in 1884 he returned to Egypt to continue his work.

He would often have over 150 workmen on his digs but would choose to be the foreman of the operation himself. He was popular with his workers, and by reducing the pressure on them to make quick finds, they were able to toil more carefully and unearth small but significant artefacts that would otherwise have been lost or damaged.

Flinders Petrie continued to have many successes in Egypt and Palestine throughout his career, most notably, his discovery of the Mernepte stele, a stone tablet depicting scenes from ancient times. He also developed new excavation methods which revolutionised large scale digging operations. He went on to produce a wealth of publications on his subject, including A Season in Egypt, 1887 (1888), Koptos (1896), Methods & Aims in Archaeology (1904), and many more. His excellent methodology and plethora of finds earned him a Knighthood for his services to archaeology in 1923.

In 1896, Flinders Petrie married Hilda Urlin, with whom he had two children, John and Ann. After his retirement, he and Hilda moved to Jerusalem where they lived at the British School of Archaeology. He remained there until his death in July 1942.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

THE PRINCIPLES OF AMULETS.

1. The belief in amulets

2. Meaning of the name

3. Purpose of amulets

4. Five theories of amulets

5. Examples of each theory

6. The doctrine of similars

7. Lower individual beliefs

8. Primitive modes of thought

9. Organic amulets

10. The flux of beliefs

CHAPTER II.

EGYPTIAN AMULETS.

11. Scope of amulets

12. Limitations of the class

13. Growth of funereal amulets

14. Material for study.

15. Arrangement of the catalogue

16. Materials named

17. Classification

System of the catalogue

CHAPTER III.

AMULETS OF SIMILARS. (295)

1. Head bearded. (3)

2. Face. (23)

3. Uzat eye. (2)

4. Eye. (4)

5. Ear. (4)

6. Tongue. (2)

7. Heart. (41)

8. Breast. (3)

9. Arm. (1)

10. Two arms, ka. (1)

11. Hand open. (12)

12. Fist clenched. (17)

13. Fist, thumb between fingers. (2)

14. Two hands side by side. (1)

15. Leg. (15)

16. Phallus. (9)

17. Sma. (5)

18. Frog and toad. (20)

19. Fly. (52)

20. Papyrus sceptre. (26)

21. Papyrus on plaque. (4)

22. Jackal head. (27)

23. Leopard head. (1)

24. Claw. (10)

25. Tooth. (8)

26. Locust. (2)

CHAPTER IV.

AMULETS OF POWERS. (237)

27. Wagtail, ur. (3)

28. Human-headed bird, ba. (5)

29. Duckling, za. (2)

30. Man’s girdle tie, onkh. (7)

31. Nefer. (8)

32. Sistrum. (3)

33. Counterpoise, menat. (6)

34. Head-rest. (12)

35. Zad. (34)

36. Square. (12)

37. Plummet. (10)

38. Forked lance. (10)

39. Ostrich plumes. (11)

40. Two plumes, disc and horns. (4)

41. Pair of feathers. (1)

42. Rising sun. (3)

43. Disc of sun. (2)

44. Crowned sun. (1)

45. Bark of the moon. (4)

46. Stairs. (1)

47. Hornet. (4)

48. White crown. (9)

49. Red crown. (17)

50. Double crown on neb. O

51. Vulture and uraeus. O

52. Royal crook. O

53. Royal scourge. (1)

54. Shepherd’s stick, uas. (10)

55. Disc mace. (5)

56. Pear mace. (20)

57. Feathers and scourge. O

58. Uraeus serpent. (19)

59. Man with palms. (5)

60. Bound captive. (8)

61. Figure with necklaces. (1)

CHAPTER V.

AMULETS OF PROPERTY. (81)

62. Ox head. (18)

63. Cow, legs tied. (7)

64. Gazelle. (1)

65. Joint of meat. (1)

66. Goose or duck. O

67. Dish on mat, hotep. O

68. Altar with cakes. (5)

69. Date. (1)

70. Vase. (16)

71. Collar. (2)

72. Clothing. (5)

73. Royal head-dress. O

74. Comb. (5)

75. Spear head. O

76. Writing tablet. (2)

77. Name badge. (5)

78. Cartouche. (3)

79. Seal. (6)

80. Seal ring. (1)

81. Circle of cord. (2)

82. Slave figure. (1)

CHAPTER VI.

PROTECTIVE AMULETS. (350)

83. Sun and wings. (2)

84. Sun and uraei. (2)

85. Crescent. (8)

86. Mummy. (2)

87. Mummy on bier. (4)

88. Girdle of Isis, thet. (23)

89. Scarab, flat base. (32)

90. Scarab, inscribed. (26)

91. Pectoral. (7)

92. Scarab with legs. (50)

93. Scarab winged. (8)

94. Vulture standing. (7)

95. Vulture spread. (4)

96. Serpent. (7)

97. Serpent head. (12)

98. Cobra on case. (8)

99. Amphisbaena on case. (2)

100. Phagrus eel on case. (3)

101. Lizard on case. (7)

102. Taurt on case. (1)

103. Shrew mouse on case. (1)

104. Horn. (1)

105. Bone. (3)

106. Coral. (1)

107. Cypraea shell. (7)

108. Nerita shell. (3)

109. Mitra shell. (2)

110. Conus shell. (4)

111. Cardium shell. (9)

112. Meleagrina shell. (12)

113. Cleopatra shell. (4)

114. Pectunculus shell. (2)

115. Polinices shell. (1)

116. Cassis shell. (1)

117. Murex shell. (1)

118. Helix shell. (8)

119. Clanculus shell. (1)

120. Turbo shell. (1)

121. Oliva shell. (2)

122. Terebra shell. (2)

123. Stone implement. (12)

124. Bell. (5)

125. Door bolt. (1)

126. Seated prince. (2)

127. Princess. (2)

128. Medusa head. (3)

129. Bulla. (12)

130. Forehead pendant. (21)

131. Knotted cord. (7)

132. Woven charm. (1)

133. Charm case. (18)

134. Hypocephalus. (4)

135. Inscribed stone, Greek. (26)

136. Inscribed stone, non-Greek. (11)

137. Cross. (44)

CHAPTER VII.

HUMAN-HEADED GODS. (448)

138. Uzat eye, usual. (86)

139. Uzat eye, unusual. (46)

140. Uzat eye, multiple. (14)

141. Uzat eye, with gods. (12)

142. Uzat eye, inscribed. (10)

143. Horus the hunter. (1)

144. Horus on crocodiles. (9)

145. Horus the child. (26)

146. Horus on the lotus. (1)

147. Head of Horus. (2)

148. Isis and Horus. (21)

149. Isis. (17)

150. Isis mourning. (8).

151. Isis Pharia. (3)

152. Isis, Nebhat, and Horus. (6)

153. Groups of goddesses. (2)

154. Nebhat. (10)

155. Nebhat mourning. (2)

156. Osiris, Isis, and Horus. (4)

157. Osiris. (13)

158. Heart of Osiris. (18)

159. Oracular bust. (9)

160. Horus and Min. (1)

161. Min. (11)

162. Amen. (5)

163. Amen, Mut, and Khonsu. (1)

164. Mut. (10)

165. Khonsu. (2)

166. Anhur. (1)

167. Shu. (11)

168. Neit. (3)

169. Unknown deities. (6)

170. Hathor. (16)

171. Head of Hathor. (7)

172. Măot. (1)

173. Hat-mehyt. (2)

174. Selket. (2)

175. Nefertum. (11)

176. Ptah Seker. (25)

177. Ptah. (5)

178. Dwarf. (2)

179. Saints. (6)

CHAPTER VIII.

ANIMAL-HEADED GODS. (260)

180. Horus. (15)

181. Ra. (16)

182. Four sons of Ra. (19)

183. Set. (1)

184. Sphinx, male. (4)

185. Sphinx, female. (15)

186. Hathor, cow-headed. (4)

187. Khnumu. (9)

188. Bes. (36)

189. Bes, unusual. (10)

190. Bes head. (26)

191. Tahuti of Panebes. (1)

192. Mahes. (8)

193. Anhur and Tefnut. (2)

194. Sekhmet or Bastet. (24)

195. Aegis of Bastet. (15)

196. Shu and Tefnut. (3)

197. Anpu. (23)

198. Upuatu. (1)

199. Jackal-headed archer. (1)

200. Shrewmouse figure. (1)

201. Sebek. (1)

202. Tehuti. (21)

203. Serpent-headed god. (4)

CHAPTER IX.

ANIMAL GODS. (442)

204. Ape standing. (7)

205. Ape seated. (4)

206. Baboon. (12)

207. Apis bull. (10)

208. Hathor cow. (6)

209. Hathor cow on square. (5)

210. Hathor head. (5)

211. Ram. (11)

212. Ram’s head. (21)

213. Hare. (4)

214. Ibex. (2)

215. Barbary sheep. (1)

216. Klipspringer. (1)

217. Camel. (1)

218. Hawk-headed sphinx. (1)

219. Lion. (16)

220. Two lion fore-parts. (7)

221. Lion’s head. (4)

222. Lion and bull fore-parts. O

223. Two bull fore-parts. (3)

224. Cat. (16)

225. Cat in shrine. (2)

226. Two cats on column. (2)

227. Cat and kittens (3)

228. Set animal. (2)

229. Jackal standing. (5)

230. Two jackal heads. (1)

231. Jackal couchant. (8)

232. Shrew mouse. (5)

233. Dog. (6)

234. Pig. (5)

235. Hippopotamus. (5)

236. Taurt. (51)

237. Hippopotamus head. (16)

238. Hedgehog. (1)

239. Turtle. (4)

240. Crocodile. (18)

241. Waran. (1)

242. Lizard. (1)

243. Mentu standard. (7)

244. Hawk-headed sphinx. (1)

245. Hawk, falcon. (59)

246. Ostrich. (1)

247. Ibis. (12)

248. Vulture. (2)

249. Vulture flying. (2)

250. Goat-sucker. (2)

251. Bird heads. (6)

252. Coptic birds. (5)

253. Bird’s foot. (1)

254. Serpent with arms, Nehebka. (5)

255. Qarmut, nar. (3)

256. Oxyrhynkhos. (1)

257. Bulti. (11)

258. Electric fish. (7)

259. Lepidotos. O

260. Scorpion. (4)

261. Green beetle. (6)

262. Shuttle. (2)

263. Woman with offerings. (1)

264. Figure in tall head-dress. (1)

265. Figure in long robe. (2)

266. Figure in pointed cap. (2)

267. Flower. (3)

268. Palm column. (1)

269. Bunch of grapes. (1)

270. Flowering reed. (1)

271. Seed vessel. (3)

272. Unknown. (2)

273. Two fingers. (11)

274. Uncertain pendants. (2)

275. Star. (2)

CHAPTER X.

Positions of amulets

Properties of stones

List of groups of amulets

INDEX

LIST OF PLATES

It is intended that this volume shall be the first of a series dealing with various branches of Egyptian Archaeology, based upon the collection at University College.

In the succeeding volumes, the Scarabs, Cylinders, Button Seals, Tools, Glass, Beads and other subjects will be discussed and illustrated, with reference also to other collections.

AMULETS

CHAPTER I

THE PRINCIPLES OF AMULETS

1. THE present study of Egyptian amulets is based upon the University College collection, which I have tried to make as varied as possible; some two hundred and seventy different kinds of amulets are here described, together with a summary of those in some other collections, in order to show the numbers and the materials of which amulets were usually made. To understand the purpose of these amulets, it is needful to gain some general ideas from the use of amulets in other lands. The belief in the magic effect of inanimate objects on the course of events is one of the lower stages of the human mind in seeking for principles of natural action; it belongs to a condition of the intellect so low as to be incapable of clear reason about cause and effect. Yet it has become so ingrained a habit of thought during the vast ages before observation and induction were developed, that it survives the rise of knowledge and reasoning among most people. The use of amulets is by no means equally general in all races; the lowest of mankind—the Tasmanians—had great confidence in the power of amulets, the Shilluks of the Sudan wear them in a bunch, the